A stylus was originally an instrument used by the ancients for writing in clay or wax. Today it is a pointed device that may be used with a touch screen or a digitizing tablet. There are numerous electronic devices that are equipped with touch screens as an interface mechanism. Among these devices are personal computers, both desktop and laptop styles, and handheld devices such as electronic game devices and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
There are numerous versions of styluses available today. There are conventional styluses that resemble pens. FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate versions of such styluses, 100a and 100b. Stylus 100a may be molded from a plastic type material and configured to fit in the stylus holder of a specific handheld device or it may be milled from any solid material such as wood, metal or a synthetic material lending itself to milling. Stylus 100b of FIG. 1B may be formed from a metal such as stainless steel, with a molded plastic or nylon tip and cap configured for holding it in the stylus holder of a handheld device.
A user of either stylus 100a or 100b may find the stylus comfortable to use if it is of a sufficient length to fit between the thumb and forefinger and rest against the base of the thumb. However, styluses are typically stored inside the devices with which they are used, thus restricting their length to the length of the device. With the increasingly smaller designs that are evolving in the world of PDAs and other handheld devices, a stylus that would not protrude beyond the end of a small device may be too short to be comfortable in a user's hand. Also, there is a need for a convenient method of extracting a stylus from a device in which it is stored.
One prior art solution is the duplication of a ballpoint pen mechanism. Another prior art solution is a pull-to-detent type of expandable stylus. These solutions have problems such as having too large a diameter to fit into a holder in the device, requiring two hands to extend, and difficulty in removing from the device. The solution using a ballpoint pen mechanism suffers because it does not remain in a contracted position when turned upside down.
There are many other conventional versions of styluses available. There are styluses that are molded into pen caps. These styluses have the disadvantage of not fitting into the device for which they are to be used. Therefore, they are susceptible to being misplaced or left behind and, therefore, may not always be readily available when needed.
In summary, the evolution of handheld electronic devices is such that they are becoming increasingly smaller and the conventional styluses that fit in a stylus holder in today's smaller device are too short to fit comfortably in an average user's hand. A solution to this problem would be advantageous. The present invention, in various embodiments, provides such a solution.